Typhoon cleanup in Philippines, but another storm on the way

Updated
Sun Oct 13 15:02:27 EST 2013

Photo

Stranded people stand as vehicles maneuver though flood waters on a road in the northern Philippines following Typhoon Nari.

AFP: Jay Directo

A major clean-up operation was under way in the Philippines on Sunday after Typhoon Nari pounded the archipelago's north, leaving 13 dead, as authorities issued a storm warning for the east of the country.

The military, along with civilian relief workers, struggled to clear roads of toppled trees and power pylons as they rushed to restore vital lifelines wrecked by Saturday's storm.

"The general situation is getting better, but it would take some time to clear the roads of fallen trees and (electrical) posts," civil defence office spokesman Reynaldo Balido said.

He said power and telecommunication facilities had been restored in affected areas, although some cities and towns in five provinces on Luzon, the country's most populous island, were without electricity.

Typhoon Nari, the 19th storm to hit the disaster-prone country, tore into the country's northeast coast early Saturday and cut a westward path through the farming regions of Luzon.